Fitted Mattress Covering

ABSTRACT

A fitted mattress cover is provided, having elastic elements at each corner which hold the cover in place. A corner elastic element runs along each corner seam, and is attached to the center of a diagonal elastic element. The diagonal elastic acts a lock system to prevent movement of the fitted sheet during any pull from the top of the fitted sheet. The corner elastic helps to hold the corner of the cover to the mattress, and also prevents peaking of the corner seam, leading to an improved appearance and helps to fit mattresses of different thickness.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is in the field of bedding, and in particular tofitted coverings for mattresses.

BACKGROUND

Fitted coverings for mattresses, e.g., fitted sheets, mattress pads,blankets, and water- or allergen-proof covers, conventionally feature aplanar upper portion which is sized to cover the top surface of themattress, side and end portions which cover the sides and ends of themattress, and a lower portion, usually formed by extending the side andend portions several inches beyond the bottom of the mattress, whichcovers only the periphery of the bottom surface of the mattress. Thelower portion usually incorporates an elastic along the inner edge orthe corners, which pulls the lower portion inward across the lowersurface of the mattress, tightening the fitted covering around themattress and fixing it in position. In order to better retain the coveron the mattress, diagonal elastic strips may be attached between theedges of adjacent side and end portions (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos.5,479,664, 5,513,403, 6,983,500 and 8,438,679).

The diagonal elastic strips, while serving to anchor the covering to themattress, fail to hold down the corners of the covering. As a result,the corner seam of the cover can slide upwards, creating an unsightlyappearance due to “peaking”, where the corner seam sticks up above thesurface of the sheet. The upper surface of the covering may then nolonger lie flat. Furthermore, particularly in the case of a thinmattress, the corners of the cover can come entirely free of themattress even as the diagonal elastic strips hold the rest of the coverin place.

One proposed solution is the “triangle” bed sheet strap, a set of threeelastic straps extending at 120° angles from a central ring. Two of thestraps are clipped into place to jointly serve as a diagonal elastic,while the third is clipped to the corner of the fitted sheet, pulling itinward. However, detaching and re-attaching twelve individual clips whenchanging sheets is an inconvenient task. A comparable solution isdisclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,013, where an added elastic band servesthe same purpose. While these modifications serve to prevent the covercorner from coming free of the mattress, the problem of “peaking”remains.

A need therefore exists for fitted coverings which do not require acomplex installation process, which cling to mattresses of variablethickness, and which provide a neat appearance when installed on amattress.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a fitted mattress cover comprising conventionalupper, end, side, and lower portions or panels. The coveringincorporates, in the four corners of the lower panel, elastic elementsinstalled diagonally between adjacent end and side panels.

Four additional elastic elements are disposed at the four corners of thecover, each extending perpendicularly from the midpoint of the diagonalelastic elements and along the seam between the end and side panels atthat corner. The corner elastic elements thus reach around the lowerside of the mattress and run upward toward the upper panel of the cover,terminating at some point along the seam. The diagonal and perpendicularcorner elastic elements cooperate to hold the corners of the covertightly to the mattress, and also provide a downward force on the cornerseams, preventing the upper corners from peaking.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the lower side of one corner of amattress fitted with a cover of the invention.

FIG. 2 is an alternative embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is yet another embodiment of the device shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of an alternative embodiment in which alower panel is employed.

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a prior art fitted sheet, showing a bottompanel with peripheral and diagonal elastic elements.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

As used herein, the term “mattress cover” can refer to a sheet, mattresspad, blanket, coverlet, water-proof covering, allergen-proof covering,or other fabric or plastic covering intended to be fitted over amattress. The cover can be made of any of the woven and nonwovenmaterials employed in the making of bedding, including but not limitedto cotton, linen, flannel, satin, sateen, and the like. As is known inthe art, waterproof sheeting materials such as polyvinyl chloride andnonwoven polyester can be employed in specific applications. The terms“elastic” and “elastic band” are used interchangeably.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,479,664, 5,513,403, 6,983,500, 7,316,039 and 8,438,679are each incorporated herein by reference in their entireties, and forall purposes.

Broadly, the invention provides a fitted cover for a rectilinearmattress having a sleeping surface and an opposite lower surface, thecover comprising an upper panel substantially co-extensive with thesleeping surface, two side panels disposed on opposite sides of theupper surface, and two end panels disposed on opposite ends of the uppersurface. An annular lower panel may optionally be present. The upper,side and end panels define an open-sided rectilinear cover which isfittable onto the mattress. The cover further comprises, at each corner,a diagonal elastic band attached to an edge of a side panel and to anedge of the adjacent end panel and a corner elastic band attached to thecenter of the diagonal elastic band. The corner elastic extendsperpendicularly from the diagonal elastic and along a seam between theside panel and the adjacent end panel, and is attached to the side andend panels along the seam.

An optional peripheral elastic band may be attached to the full lengthsof the lower edges of the side panels and end panels, or to the fulllength of the inner edge of the lower panel if a lower panel is present.n alternative embodiments, there is no peripheral elastic band in thecorners, on the portions of the lower edges that are subtended by thediagonal elastic.

Turning to FIG. 1, an embodiment of the invention is illustrated. Afitted mattress cover comprises an upper panel (not shown), end panels10, and side panels 20. A lower panel, not shown, may optionally bepresent. The upper and side panels are sized so as to cover the uppersurface and substantially or completely cover the sides of a mattress80. A lower panel, if present, covers only the periphery of theunderside of the mattress, and is not shown in the illustratedembodiment. The upper panel, side panels and end panels may be separatepieces of fabric sewn together, but preferably are formed from a single,integral piece of fabric, which has been cut, folded, and sewn into arectilinear cover as is known in the art. The cover incorporates atleast two different types of sewn-in or sewn-on elastic elements.

The first type of elastic element is the diagonal elastic 40. Four suchelements are disposed at the four corners of the cover, installeddiagonally between and attached to adjacent edges 50 and 60 of the sideand end panels, respectively. The diagonal elastic 40 is preferablyattached to edges 50 and 60 by stitching or other known means. Thediagonal elastic acts a lock system and prevents the movement or shiftof the fitted sheet during any pull from the top side of the fittedsheet.

The second type of elastic element is the corner or perpendicularelastic 70, four of which are disposed at the four corners of the cover.Each corner elastic 70 extends perpendicularly from the midpoint of adiagonal elastic 40, and continues along the seam 30 between the end andside panels at that corner. Thus, when the cover is installed on amattress, the corner elastic 70 extends past the lower edge of themattress and runs upward toward the upper panel of the cover. The cornerelastic 70 may terminate at any point along the seam 30; but preferablyextends between about ⅓ and about ⅔ of the length of the seam. Morepreferably, the corner elastic extends to within about 6 inches of theupper panel or top of the corner. The corner or perpendicular elasticlends a better grip and provides a snug look at all the four corners.The diagonal elastic 40 and the corner elastic 70 may be of any suitabledimensions. They may be of same width or different width. For example,25 mm, 11 mm etc.

A third type of elastic element, a peripheral elastic 90, may bepresent. The peripheral elastic, if present, is disposed along the edgesof the end panels 10 and side panels 20. If a lower panel is present,the peripheral elastic element will be disposed around the inner edgesof the lower panel. Peripheral elastic 90 may be sewn onto the edges,or, as shown in FIG. 1, it may be sewn into a hem that runs along theedges. The peripheral elastic serves to pull the edges inward toward thecenter of the mattress.

In another embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 2, the structureshown in FIG. 1 is retained, but the peripheral elastic 90 is omitted.

In yet another embodiment of the invention, shown in FIG. 3, the fourcorners are free of peripheral elastic in the region subtended bydiagonal elastic 140. The absence of the elastic on the four cornersprovides a clean look and prevents formation of wrinkles which arenormally visible when elastic is used at the corner edges. It alsoavoids the high stress and strain on the fabric by the elastic andenhances the life of the fitted sheet. In this embodiment, a peripheralelastic 190 is present along the straight edges of the side and endpanels, i.e., in those regions that are not subtended by the diagonalelastic 140. The peripheral elastic may be sewn to the panels along theedges, or may be sewn into a hem along the edge, as shown. A corner orperpendicular elastic 170 extends perpendicularly from the midpoint ofthe diagonal elastic 140, and continues along the seam 130 between theend and side panels 110 and 120 at that corner, in the same manner asdescribed in FIG. 1.

Turning now to FIG. 4, an embodiment is illustrated in which the coverhas an annular lower panel 100. The lower panel covers the periphery ofthe underside of the mattress 80, and can have any annular widthcompatible with the need to insert the mattress into the cover. Thelower panel may be a separate, sewn-on element, as shown in FIG. 4, orit may be formed by extending the end and side panels 110 and 120. Inthe illustrated embodiment, a peripheral elastic element 290 is disposedalong the inner edges of the lower panel, but omitted at the fourcorners as shown. The peripheral elastic may be sewn to the lower panelalong the edges, or may be sewn into a hem along the edges, as shown.Alternatively, the peripheral elastic element may extend around theentire periphery of the panels 110 and 120; in other embodiments theperipheral elastic element may be omitted. In yet another alternativeembodiment, panel 100 may itself be an elastic fabric, effectivelyserving as both a lower panel and as a peripheral elastic element.

The diagonal elastic 140 is disposed at the four corners of the cover,installed diagonally across the corners of the lower panel 100. Thecorner or perpendicular elastic 170 extends perpendicularly from themidpoint of diagonal elastic 140, and continues beneath the lower paneland along the seam 130. As in the embodiment without a lower panel, whenthis cover is installed on a mattress, the corner elastic 170 extendspast the lower edge of the mattress and runs upward toward the upperpanel of the cover. The corner elastic 170 may terminate at any pointalong the seam 130; but again, it preferably extends between about ⅓ andabout ⅔ of the length of the seam, and more preferably extends to withinabout 6 inches of the upper panel.

The corner or perpendicular elastic 70/170 pulls the corner of the upperpanel downward with sufficient force to hold the corner of the top panelagainst the top of the mattress. The corner elastic, in cooperation withthe diagonal elastic to which it is attached, also exerts an inwardforce parallel to the lower surface of the mattress, which causes thefitted cover to cling snugly to the mattress. The combination of thesetwo forces holds the cover close to the mattress, even if there is amismatch between the height of the side and end panels of the cover andthe thickness of the mattress. The elastic bands of the presentinvention thus allow the fitted sheet to fit mattresses of varyingthickness, such as from 12″-24″.

FIG. 5 shows a representative prior art fitted cover in a bottom view,from U.S. Pat. No. 8,438,679. The cover incorporates a bottom panel 52,diagonal elastic elements 62, and a peripheral elastic element 60.Accordingly, fitted sheets having both panels and elastic elements, aswell as suitable materials for their construction and methods ofincorporating these elements into fitted mattress coverings, are knownin the art. (See, for example, incorporated U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,513,403 and7,316,039 and the references therein). All such materials and methodsare contemplated to be workable with the present invention, and areintended to be within the scope of the invention and the appendedclaims.

While various features are presented in this description and in thedrawings, it should be understood that these features may be used singlyor in various combinations. It should also be understood that theexamples described herein and illustrated in the drawings are intendedto be exemplary, and are not intended to limit or define the invention.Accordingly, variations and modifications will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the present disclosure will enable those skilledin the art to make and use alternative designs having alternativeelements that correspond to elements recited in the claims. Suchmodifications and variations are intended to be within the scope of theinvention, the scope of which is established only by the appendedclaims.

1. A fitted cover for a rectilinear mattress having a sleeping surfaceand an opposite lower surface, the cover comprising: an upper panelsubstantially co-extensive with the sleeping surface; two side panelsdisposed on opposite sides of the upper surface; and two end panelsdisposed adjacent to said side panels, on opposite ends of the uppersurface; wherein the upper, side and end panels define the fitted coverwhich is fittable onto the mattress; the fitted cover furthercomprising, at each corner, a diagonal elastic band attached to an edgeof one of said side panels and to an edge of the adjacent end panel; ateach corner, a corner elastic band attached to the center of thediagonal elastic band, extending perpendicularly therefrom and extendingat least about ⅓ of the length of a seam between the side panel and theadjacent end panel; wherein the corner elastic band is attached to theside and end panels along said seam.
 2. The fitted cover according toclaim 1, wherein the corner elastic band extends between about ⅓ andabout ⅔ of the length of the seam.
 3. The fitted cover according toclaim 1, wherein the corner elastic band extends to within about 6inches of the upper panel.
 4. The fitted cover according to claim 1,further comprising a lower panel.
 5. The fitted cover according to claim2, further comprising a lower panel.
 6. The fitted cover according toclaim 3, further comprising a lower panel.
 7. The fitted cover accordingto claim 1, further comprising a peripheral elastic band attached to thefull lengths of the lower edges of the side panels and the end panelsexcept at the four corners.
 8. The fitted cover according to claim 2,further comprising a peripheral elastic band attached to the fulllengths of the lower edges of the side panels and the end panels exceptat the four corners.
 9. The fitted cover according to claim 3, furthercomprising a peripheral elastic band attached to the full lengths of thelower edges of the side panels and the end panels except at the fourcorners.
 10. The fitted cover according to claim 4, further comprising aperipheral elastic band attached to the full length of the inner edge ofthe lower panel except at the four corners.
 11. The fitted coveraccording to claim 5, further comprising a peripheral elastic bandattached to the full length of the inner edge of the lower panel exceptat the four corners.
 12. The fitted cover according to claim 6, furthercomprising a peripheral elastic band attached to the full length of theinner edge of the lower panel except at the four corners.
 13. The fittedcover according to claim 1, further comprising a peripheral elastic bandattached to the full lengths of the lower edges of the side panels andthe end panels.
 14. The fitted cover according to claim 2, furthercomprising a peripheral elastic band attached to the full lengths of thelower edges of the side panels and the end panels.
 15. The fitted coveraccording to claim 3, further comprising a peripheral elastic bandattached to the full lengths of the lower edges of the side panels andthe end panels.
 16. The fitted cover according to claim 4, furthercomprising a peripheral elastic band attached to the full length of theinner edge of the lower panel.
 17. The fitted cover according to claim5, further comprising a peripheral elastic band attached to the fulllength of the inner edge of the lower panel.
 18. The fitted coveraccording to claim 6, further comprising a peripheral elastic bandattached to the full length of the inner edge of the lower panel.
 19. Afitted mattress cover, comprising an upper panel, two side panelsdisposed on opposite sides of the upper panel; and two end panelsdisposed adjacent to said side panels, on opposite ends of the uppersurface, and having, at each corner, a diagonal elastic band attached toan edge of one of said side panels and to an edge of the adjacent endpanel, and at each corner, a corner elastic band attached to the centerof the diagonal elastic band, extending perpendicularly therefrom andalong at least one third of the length of a seam between a side paneland an adjacent end panel, the corner elastic being attached to saidseam.